102 years have passed since her birth, 24 since her death, 61 since the publication of her masterpiece, The Second Sex, a work that changed forever the way in which the world looks at women. Yet Simone de Beauvoir, widely considered as the inspiration for modern feminism, still represents an essential reference for millions of women and men all over the world who have been influenced by both her theoretical and her narrative works and by the example of her own life.

The 18th International conference of the Simone de Beauvoir Society, an association created in December 1981 in order to promote the study and diffusion of her ideas, is going to take place in Cagliari, capital of the island of Sardinia (Italy), from June 23rd to 26th, 2010. At the beginning of the second decade of the second millennium, the conference will highlight the multidisciplinary studies inspired by Beauvoir and the prospective impact of her works in the shaping of our future.

The conference, entitled "Simone de Beauvoir: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow", anticipates providing evidence of the extraordinary and undiminished relevance of this multifaceted figure both for a wide variety of academic fields and disciplines including literature, history, sociology, philosophy, gender studies, women's studies and epistemology, and for the feminist struggle for gender equality. We welcome a broad range of perspectives: historical, literary, and comparative analyses of Beauvoir's life and works and of the impact of her ideas on her own time, including second-wave feminism (Yesterday); surveys of relevant contemporary issues (Today); and examination of new research orientations such as "queer theory," "post-feminism," and current efforts to redefine and reshape the agenda of the women's movement (Tomorrow). In view of the geographical location of the conference, "Mediterranean" perspectives on Simone de Beauvoir and gender issues will be particularly welcome.

To submit a proposal for a paper, please send an abstract of no more than 800 words in English, French, or Italian and a short Curriculum Vitae which includes your contact details and institutional affiliation, if any, to both conference organizers: Dr. Andrea Duranti (duranti.andrea @ gmail.com) AND Dr. Matteo Tuveri (m.tuveri @ gmail.com) by April 23rd, 2010. Most conference sessions will be in English or French, with the possibility of some sessions in Italian depending on the nature of the proposals received.

For further details about the conference and the location, please visit the conference's official website (http://sites.google.com/site/sdbconference2010/) and the Simone de Beauvoir Society's official website (http://simonedebeauvoir.free.fr/).